BJP to expose Nitish Kumar's 'doublespeak'

Patna, June 17 (IANS) A day after its 17-year-old alliance with the JD-U ended, an angry BJP Monday decided to expose the "doublespeak" of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over Narendra Modi by distributing CDs of an old video in which he praised the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Nitish Kumar, however, made light of the the threat, contending these were comments at official events, where it is the protocol not to attack political adversaries.

"We will expose the doublespeak of Nitish Kumar by distributing CDs of an old video in which Nitish Kumar praised Modi during his visit to Gujarat in 2003, a year after the Gujarat riots," senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi told media persons here Monday.

"These CDs will be distributed among people in rural as well as in urban areas. People will come to know the doublespeak and double face of Nitish Kumar over Modi," he said.

Soon after JD-U ended its alliance with BJP Sunday afternoon, the BJP released a speech in which Nitish Kumar as a railway minister praised Modi as a potential national leader and a development-oriented politician. "I hope that Narendra Modi will not be limited to Gujarat after some time. The country needs his services," Nitish Kumar reportedly then said.

Defending himself, Nitish Kumar said: "I had to go for a lot of government events. At government events, you don't push your party's opinions or agenda. That is not protocol. It is protocol that at these events, you don't attack each other or make public complaints."

Nitish Kumar has been opposing Narendra Modi since 2010 and last month clearly made it clear that JD-U will not accept him as prime ministerial candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).